Grenada island (344 km2), the most southerly of the
caribbean windward islands, is about 241 km southwest of Barbados and
145 km northwest of Trinidad. The State of Grenada also includes the 2
Carriacou and Petit Martinique islands (respectively 35 km2 and 2 km2).

The center of the island is a verdant rain forest and the
southern coast has many white and sandy beaches. Grenada is a volcanic
island. It is traversed by a mountain ridge that forms a spine down the
length of the island (highest peak : 840 m). 3 lakes have formed in the
craters of extinct volcanoes along that ridge. The littoral coast of
the island can be described as follows :

On the west coast : steep cliffs are dominating while
alternating with flat outlets of rivers. The slopes of
these rivers are high but, the outlets are usually
small and flat alluvial plains few centimeters above
the mean sea level ;

On the north-east coast : flat alluvial plains are
dominating. Here is located the biggest river of the
island (Great River) ;

On the south-east coast : here, the large protected
bays are dominating. The extremity of the bays usually
consists of a river outlet associated with an alluvial
platform.

The climate is tropical. A mild dry season lasts from
January to May with night temperatures dropping to 16–18°C. The rest of
the year is wet with mean temperature about 30–32°C. Rainfalls vary
from 1500 mm/year in the coastal areas to about 4000–6000 mm/year in
the mountain. The eastern part of the island (leeward area) is the most
rainy and thus includes the biggest rivers. With a smaller surface and
lower mountains, Carriacou has an average rainfall of 1300 mm only.

The temperature of the marine waters is almost constant
throughout the year between 28 and 30°C. Salinity ranges between 35 and
37‰. The island is under the influence of the general north-east to
south-west current.

The estimated population in 1985 was 94000 with an annual
growth rate of 0.9 % (1977–1982). Most of Grenada's population is of
african descent and about 30 % of the population are concentrated
around the capital St-Georges. The rest are distributed all over the
island, mainly on small farms. From 1960 to 1976, the population grew
only 0.5 % annually due to a high emigration. Furthermore political
factors in the recent past have resulted in increased emigration and a
stable population. About 50 % of the population are under the age of
25.

Grenada's economy is based on agriculture with tourism becoming
progressively an important source of foreign currency. The main crops
are fresh fruits, vegetables, cocao, bananas and nutmeg (Grenada is the
second world producer of nutmeg after Indonesia). The industry (light
industry only) remains a marginal sector and accounts for 4 % only in
the Gross National Product.

In 1984, the G.N.P. increased by about 0.4 %. However, so
far, the foreign grants and loans play a non-negligible role in the
Grenada's economy. In conclusion, Grenada's economy is improving but is
still very weak with a heavy debt and an unemployment about 20–25 % (in
1985).

The private sector investment (domestic and foreign) is
now seen as the main engine of economic development. The new Government
has already decided to divest itself of selected state entreprises and
to reformulate tax and investment laws to give new incentives to
potential investors.

Various fishing methods are utilized such as seine nets
(mainly beach seines on the west coast from February to September),
long line and trolling (from December-January to May-June), handline,
fish-traps and gillnets all year round and scuba diving.

Refrigerated trucks : 2 small refrigerated trucks only
which belong to the Artisanal Fisheries Project ;

Ice making plant : one plant in Melville.

Most of fish is directly marketed at the landing site,
without processing.

Fish purchased by vendors is often transported without
refrigeration to individual buyers and markets. In Carriacou and Petit
Martinique, foreign ice-carrying vessels usually anchor in the area and
purchase high value fish (grouper, snapper, etc) directly to the
fishermen. The product is then sold in other islands such as french
Martinique that pay a better price for the product.

The aquaculture sector in Grenada can be considered as
non-existent. As a matter of fact :

There is no commercial farm in Grenada ; neither in
freshwater nor in seawater ;

There is no governmental research program under course ;

There is no aquaculture research facilities in Grenada ;

Only one public officer is permanently working on the
perspective of aquaculture in Grenada. He was recruited in
September 1986 by the “Artisanal Fisheries Project” and
acted as counterpart of the consultants during their
mission.

However, 2 local projects have drawn the attention of the
consultants, they are :

One small freshwater prawn project in Grand-bras (close
to Grenville on the east coast) organized and managed by Mr SOOKRAN
(Teacher in the Teacher's college, St-Georges). Few thousands juveniles
of Macrobrachium rosenbergii were imported from Guadeloupe and stocked
in a 400 m2 grow-out pond (earth made) with gravity water supply from
the river. Considering :

The design of the pond and the hydraulic network that
can be considerably improved ;

The lack of know-how and the difficulty to carry out a
follow up of the experimentation.

The consultants consider the results are promising (about
200–300 kg of market size animals have been harvested) and confirm that
freshwater prawn culture has high potentialities in Grenada.

One king crab culture project (Mithrax spinosissimus)
financed and managed by a private investor (Mrs Bartels) in Carriacou.
That project, too, looks very promising. It is described in details in
the section III, 2.5 of the present report.

In conclusion, aquaculture development has not yet started in
Grenada. However, that development is now under course in many
neighbouring countries of the caribbean region.

Governmental research facilities carrying out specific
applied aquaculture research programs are present in :
Florida, French Martinique, French Guyana, Bahamas, Cuba
and Puerto Rico. Most of the programs concern marine
fishes, oysters, and algae culture ;

For marine shrimp culture (Penaeid spp) : a total of
5 300–5 500 ha are about to be implemented in a zone
including Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Honduras,
Guatemala, Trinidad, Haïti, Dominican Rep., Jamaïca
and Puerto Rico ;

For freshwater prawn culture (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) :
a total of 600 ha of commercial grow-out ponds (with about
10 small and big hatcheries) are or will be soon in
operation in a region including French West Indies, French
Guyana, Trinidad, St Lucia, Dominique, Jamaïca, Puerto
Rico, Dominican Rep., Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and
Salvador ;

Some projects on freshwater fishes (mainly Tilapia) also
exist in the region. However, their development is far
behind these of shrimps and prawns culture ;

For Lambi culture (Scombrus gigas), a specific applied
research program is presently carried out in “Turks and
Caïcos” (close to Jamaïca). It mainly concerns production
in hatchery and restocking of the juveniles in the wild.

About 90 ha of flat lands suitable for aquaculture
are available on the coastal areas (furthermore,
many of them belong to the Government). About
100 ha for the whole Grenada Island (inland areas
included).

Large protected bays, mainly in the south-east of
Grenada.

Availability of freshwater supply by gravity.

4.1.2. Socio-economic factors

Possibility to produce locally an aquaculture feed
(mainly with imported goods) as the local feed
manufacturer (Agro-Industries) is a subsidiary of
the Continental Grain Group (already involved in
Ecuador and in French Guadeloupe where it produces
a pellet for freshwater prawn).

Nota : discussions were held between the manager
of the firm and the consultants team. An accurate
cost estimate was made for a locally manufactured
freshwater prawn pellet. The suggested formula is
the one of the presently produced feed in Guadeloupe;

Some neighbouring countries in the caribbean
region such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, French
Guyana, United States, etc, have already locally
developed various forms of aquaculture. They could
technically support (technical assistance programs,
etc) aquaculture programs in Grenada in
both the public and the private sectors.

Cheap labour cost that would make more competitive
an aquaculture based on export.

As in many of the caribbean islands, many species
are usually harvested with beach seines. However,
the natural concentration of fry of high value
species such as snappers, groupers and marine
shrimps are too low to start any aquaculture
activity on a wild fry basis.

A previously described ; flat lands (about 90 ha)
are available in the coastal areas. However they
are scattered and the maximal available surface on
1 site is about 45 ha. Such sizes are too small,
with the presently available aquaculture technics,
for industrial farms to be competitive on an
international export market.

As the activity is unknown in the country, there is
presently no skilled staff available in both the
private and public sectors.

4.2.2. Socio-economic factors

Energy cost is very high (about 0,45 EC or
0,17 US $ per industrial Kwh). That means that any
energy consuming form of aquaculture should be
avoided (except for hatcheries that have relatively
low requirements).

The insular situation will always increase the
daily problems of logistic.

In the present situation of the banking system,
the lack of capital and the required collateral
will hamper the development of aquaculture at the
level of the small owners (farmers, fishermen,
etc).